I have one Graflex Type 37 Flashing Unit (the older type with a chrome-plated battery case with a swing-away red button (with the sync input underneath), focusing headlight, and two round bipin connectors and one "household" receptacle to lead to the solenoid). I also have several of the newer design (brushed aluminum battery case, with only "household" receptacles).

I had always assumed that the newer design always carried the name "Graflite", and in fact I used to distinguish the two designs as the "Graflex" and "Graflite" types.

But in reviewing my stock today, I find that only one of my full-featured "newer design" units (e.g., having a square red button) carried the name "Graflite" (near the top of the handle); the rest all carried the name "Graflex" (about halfway up the handle).

I also have a Cat. 2770 battery case, marked "Graflite Jr." (This is the kind with no red button and various circuit provisions optimized for B-C operation.)

I note that the phenolic caps for the bottoms of the handles (of two different designs with regard to the way the negative battery contact spring makes contact with the case proper, and the newer one having a 1/4-20 tripod attachment), found on all the "newer design" units, all say "Graflex Synchronizer Battery Case" on them.

Do we know at what point in time the "Graflite" name was first applied to this newer type of Flashing Unit?

On 2006-09-17 13:51, pv17vv wrote:
Doug, I think this has been reviewed previously. The word Graflite does not appear in the 1948 edition of "the book", the new flash is called "the new Graflex synchronizer".

Thanks. I see you said that in reply to my original inquiry a while ago, but I missed the details! Sorry.

Do we know when the name "Graflite" was introduced for this style rig?